Junior Officer for Sustainable Agriculture, Astana

## Junior Officer for Sustainable Agriculture, Astana - Organization:UNDP - United Nations Development Programme - Office:UNDP Astana, Kazakhstan Description of assignment title:Junior Officer for Sustainable Agriculture Assignment country:Kazakhstan Work location:On UN premises Expected start date:12/15/2026 Duration:6 monthsLong-term benefits and allowances Sustainable Development Goal:2. Zero hunger Volunteer category:Associate UCoS from Apr2026 Work schedule:Full-time Number of Assignments:1 Mission and objectives: - UNDP’s mandate is to end poverty, build democratic governance, rule of law, and inclusive institutions. We advocate for change, and connect countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. - Agriculture is a strategically important sector for Kazakhstan's economic diversification, food security, rural employment and sustainable management of natural resources. Kazakhstan has approximately 205 million hectares of agricultural land, including around 183 million hectares of pasture, providing a substantial natural resource base for agricultural development and positioning the country as an important producer and exporter of agricultural commodities. - The sector's economic and social significance extends well beyond its direct contribution to GDP. Agriculture generates approximately 11–13 percent of value added in the goods-producing sectors and provides employment to around 1.03 million people, making it one of the country's three largest employment sectors. At the same time, average monthly wages in agriculture, forestry and fisheries remain approximately 35 percent below the national average. - Kazakhstan therefore faces a strategic challenge of increasing agricultural productivity and competitiveness while maintaining the long-term productive capacity of its land and natural resources. Climate change, soil degradation, declining land quality, water constraints and increasing exposure to droughts and extreme weather events create risks to agricultural productivity, farm incomes and food security. At the same time, agricultural landscapes are critical for biodiversity, ecosystem services and climate mitigation, creating an opportunity to align agricultural development with environmental and climate objectives. - UNDP Kazakhstan supports the Government and other national and regional partners in promoting sustainable agricultural production, climate resilience, integrated land-use planning, restoration of degraded landscapes and sustainable food and agricultural value chains. - Within this context, UNDP is implementing initiatives that promote more sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural practices, strengthen agricultural knowledge and innovation, improve access to sustainable production technologies and finance, and support the integration of environmental considerations into agricultural planning and investment. - The International UN Volunteer will support UNDP’s work on sustainable agriculture and food systems, with particular attention to climate-smart agriculture, sustainable land and soil management, agricultural value chains, nature-positive production and evidence-based approaches to improving the environmental and economic sustainability of agricultural production. - The UN Volunteer will work across relevant UNDP programmes and projects and will interact with government counterparts, research institutions, farmers and producer organizations, private-sector actors, development partners and technical specialists. The assignment will provide an opportunity to gain practical experience at the intersection of sustainable agriculture, climate change, land management, food systems and development cooperation in Kazakhstan. - Under the direct supervision of the Head of Energy and Environment Unit, and in close collaboration with relevant UNDP programme and project teams, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: - • Support the analysis and development of approaches for promoting sustainable, climate-resilient and nature-positive agricultural production in Kazakhstan; - • Support UNDP programmes and projects in identifying, documenting and assessing sustainable agricultural practices, including climate-smart agriculture, soil conservation, sustainable nutrient and water management, crop diversification, agro-forestry, pasture management and other land-management approaches; - • Conduct research and analysis of international good practices, technologies, standards, methodologies and policy approaches related to sustainable agriculture, climate-smart food systems and sustainable land management, and assess their relevance to Kazakhstan; - • Support the identification and assessment of opportunities to integrate sustainable agriculture and environmental considerations into agricultural policies, programmes, investment projects and regional development planning; - • Contribute to the analysis of agricultural value chains and identification of opportunities for improving their environmental sustainability, resource efficiency, climate resilience and economic viability; - • Support the identification and documentation of sustainable production practices and technologies that can be promoted among farmers, agricultural enterprises and other value-chain actors; - • Assist in research and analysis related to soil health, land degradation, sustainable soil management, agro-ecology, regenerative agriculture and carbon-smart agricultural practices; - • Support the assessment of opportunities for carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emission reductions in agricultural landscapes, including through improved soil management, agro-forestry, pasture management and other nature-based approaches; - • Contribute to the review of best international practices of monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) approaches for sustainable agriculture, land management and climate-related interventions, including the use of GIS, remote sensing and other digital tools; - • Support the preparation of analytical briefs, technical notes, background papers, presentations, concept notes and other knowledge products related to sustainable agriculture and food systems; - • Contribute to the development of project concepts and proposals related to sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, land restoration, food systems and nature-positive production, including identification of potential donors and financing mechanisms; - • Support resource mobilization activities by researching relevant international financing opportunities, donor priorities, calls for proposals, partnerships and innovative financing mechanisms related to sustainable agriculture and climate action; - • Participate in consultations, workshops, field missions and technical discussions with government counterparts, farmers, research institutions, private-sector representatives, development partners and other stakeholders; - • Support knowledge-sharing and capacity-building activities on sustainable agricultural production, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable land management and related topics; - • Assist in documenting project results, lessons learned, good practices and recommendations for scaling up sustainable agricultural approaches; - • Contribute to other activities related to sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, food systems and environmental sustainability as required. - Candidate must be a national of a country other than the country of assignment. Additional eligibility criteria: - As this assignment is funded by CYVA, specific eligibility criteria apply. Candidates must be Chinese nationals affiliated with a university participating in CYVA’s programme. Assignment requirements - No experience required - English, Level: Fluent, Required - Kazakh, Level: Working knowledge, Desirable - Russian, Level: Working knowledge, Desirable Required education level: - Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Agronomy, Agricultural Economics,